Archive for the ‘YA’ Category

Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: October 1, 2020 in giveaways, reviews, urban fantasy, YA
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Witches Protection Program
by Michael Okon
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
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MY REVIEW
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Poor Wes. He’s failed again and now he’s been given one last chance to prove himself qualified to be in law enforcement. He’s sure it’s a prank when he’s assigned to the Witches Protection Program.

It’s no hoax. But it takes some convincing for Wes to believe in witches. He gets it in spades.

His first assignment, protect a witch, heiress Morgan Pendragon, from her evil aunt. Her aunt is cooking up a diabolical scheme to rule the world.

Wes will have to catch on quick if he’s to save Morgan and himself from a witches brew of trouble.

This was a fun story with some likable and not so likable characters. Got to take the good with the bad.

Wes is a pain in the beginning. Then he finds his place and becomes someone to cheer for.

Morgan is a reluctant witch, wanting nothing to do with her aunt or the other witches and their schemes. They’re not going to give her a choice though.

There’s some cool weapons, compelling characters, and a showdown at the end that I wish I could see for myself. Just imagine the pile-up when drivers look up and see witches flying in the sky.

I like a good witch, but I have a thing for the bad ones too. There’s one, Morgan’s aunt, who will chill you to the bone. Too powerful for anyone’s good.

Grab a broomstick and hang on tight. It’s a bumpy ride.

4 Stars
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Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization.
The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.
Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing, tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.
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Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon giftcard, Print Copy of Book – 1 winner each
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Wintervale #1 ~ The Crow King by M.H. Woodscourt

Posted: September 3, 2020 in Fantasy, giveaways, YA
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The Crow King
M. H. Woodscourt
(Wintervale, #1)
Publication date: September 1st 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Magic is against the law. He must use it anyway.

The Crow King has outlawed magic. Despite the kingdom’s edict, Gwyn plunges into the ancient and deadly True Wood to find a magical cure for his dying brother. Within the shadowed realm, he must fend off more than violent and fallen fae-like Ilidreth when he learns the king is out to stop him at whatever cost.

On his desperate quest, he is joined by a unicorn, a quirky girl, and the maddest of the fallen fae. Together they must outrun enchanted crows and enemy armies, and face the ghosts of a shattered age, all while racing to save Gwyn’s brother. Meanwhile, war brews between countries, and a secret order of mages hunts Gwyn down.

Yet none of this can prepare Gwyn for the harrowing truth behind the fall of the Ilidreth long, long ago, and what it means for his life and his homeland.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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Enjoy the glimpse inside:

Mist curled over the quiet hills of Vinwen. Somewhere a bird trilled, prophesying the coming dawn, and the sun answered with a ring of gold spilling over the horizon as it peeked at the slumbering world. Lazy clouds drifted by, grey, dappled with faint pinks and yellows.

Sitting on the wooden fence, Gwynter ren Terare squinted against the hovering gloom in the valley below, eyes fixed on the road. He strained for any sound beyond the faint chirrup of crickets, the song of birds, the gush of the nearby stream. A crow cawed as it landed on the fence.

There. Just there. A faint neigh. The rattle of a wheel against a stray stone. A cracking whip. Gwyn shoved against the rough wood post, leapt to his feet atop the fence, and wobbled once before he caught his balance. Perched, he soon made out the distant shape of the coming carriage, a single lantern bobbing to pierce the predawn shadows.

Gwyn grinned and jumped from the fence. The crow screamed and flew off. Gwyn loped along the streambank up toward the manor house. His shoulder-length hair flounced in his eyes, but he ignored it as he cut through a protesting gaggle of geese and threw himself against the kitchen door to stumble inside.

“Mercy, child!” cried Mavell, spoon in hand. “You look a sight. What awful trouble could there be so early as this?”

Gwyn shook his head as he gasped for air, leaning forward, hands on his legs. He gulped a few times before he could utter a word. “Lawen’s coming. Almost here. Down the road a bit.” He straightened and headed for a bucket of water on the table, took up a ladle, and helped himself to a long, cool drink.

The cook grabbed the ladle, poured water into a cup, and handed that to Gwyn. “Master Lawen, already? Surely not. He’s not to come until tomorrow, so his letter said.”

Gwyn drained the cup. He held it out to let Mavell ladle him another. “But he’s always early. I had a feeling to watch for him, and here he comes.”

“And how do you know it’s Master Lawen?”

Gwyn smiled. “I always know.”

She pursed her lips but didn’t argue. There seemed no point, they both knew that.

“Well,” the slender woman said, rubbing her hands against her apron. “If it is Master Lawen, oughtn’t you go off and clean yourself up for his arrival? Your mother will have a fit if you greet him looking like a shepherd’s boy.” She swatted Gwyn’s backside with the ladle. “Off with you, go on.”

Gwyn chuckled and trotted out of the kitchen and into a long gallery. His feet echoed against the flagstones. He cast a glance out the windows to find that full dawn had banished grey in favor of a thousand shades of green and brilliant gold. He could hear the geese and chickens griping and dogs barking as the carriage rolled along the private drive leading to the house. Gwyn thought he heard the crunch of gravel and his heart leapt.

Lawen! Home, at last. How long had it been? A year or longer. Mount Vinwen had felt hollow in his absence, though none of the others appeared to notice.

Gwyn reached his room, brushed off his trousers to dislodge any dirt or wood splinters, and changed his coarse shirt for fine woven linen. He slipped on stockings, yanked on a pair of polished boots, then caught his hair in a ponytail. A last inspection in his mirror. Gwyn awarded himself a curt, militaristic nod. He tugged one last time on his long shirt front, wrapped his belt atop it, clicked his heels, and headed downstairs.

In the main vestibule he found the rest of the ren Terares assembled, even Mother, though her lips pressed tight and her eyebrows arched above eyes sharp as needles. She turned toward Gwyn as he reached the bottom of the sweeping staircase and her gaze softened.

“Gwyn, dearheart. Thank you for not looking like a peasant this morning.”

He kissed her cheeks. “Good morning, Mother. I thought this occasion warranted the change.”

She sighed. “Yes, I suppose the master is home today.”

Gwyn brushed off her tone, not willing to let it seep in. He could understand her resentment in a way. Last year Tynveer ren Terare, Gwyn and Lawen’s blood father, had been killed in a skirmish against the savage Ilidreth. Now Lawen was the master of Mount Vinwen, and Mother, Tynveer’s second wife after Lawen’s mother had passed, now suspected her stepson would soon send her and her three children to live at another of his estates, but Gwyn knew better. There was no kinder soul in all Simaerin than his elder half-brother.

The sound of crunching gravel outside the front doors ceased as the carriage bounced to a stop. Gwyn’s younger sisters laughed and tumbled forward as the servants pulled the manor doors aside to admit the Master of Vinwen.

 

Author M.H. Woodscourt:

Writer of fantasy, magic weaver, dragon rider! Having spent the past 20 years devotedly writing fantasy, it’s safe to say M. H. Woodscourt is now more fae than human.

Her published titles include The Crow King, book one of her YA/High Fantasy Wintervale series, A Liar in Paradise and Key of Paradise of her YA/Portal Fantasy Paradise series, as well as October Cove, an Urban Fantasy novella.

All of her fantasy worlds connect with each other in a broad Universe, forged with love, sadism, and no small measure of blood, sweat, and tears. When she’s not writing, she’s napping or reading a book with a mug of hot cocoa close at hand.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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The Pizza Chronicles by Andy V. Roamer ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: August 19, 2020 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, YA
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Why Can’t Life Be Like Pizza?
The Pizza Chronicles Book 1
by Andy V. Roamer
Genre: YA LGBTQ Contemporary
RV is a good kid, starting his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School. Though his genes didn’t give him a lot of good things, they did give him a decent brain. So he’s doing his best to keep up in high school, despite all the additional pressures he’s facing: His immigrant parents, who don’t want him to forget his roots and insist on other rules. Some tough kids at school who bully teachers as well as students. His puny muscles. His mean gym teacher. The Guy Upstairs who doesn’t answer his prayers. And the most confusing fact of all—that he might be gay.Luckily, RV develops a friendship with Mr. Aniso, his Latin teacher, who is gay and always there to talk to. RV thinks his problems are solved when he starts going out with Carole. But things only get more complicated when RV develops a crush on Bobby, the football player in his class. And to RV’s surprise, Bobby admits he may have gay feelings, too.
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Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?
The Pizza Chronicles Book 2
RV, having successfully completed his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School, is hoping for a great summer. He’s now fifteen years old and looking forward to sharing many languid summer days with his friend Bobby, who’s told him he has gay feelings too. But life and family and duties for a son of immigrant parents makes it difficult to steal time away with Bobby.
Bobby, too, has pressures. He spends part of the summer away at football camp, and his father pushes him to work a summer job at a friend’s accounting firm. Bobby takes the job grudgingly, wanting to spend any extra time practicing the necessary skills to make Latin’s varsity football team.
On top of everything, RV’s best friend Carole goes away for the summer, jumping at an opportunity to spend it with her father in Paris. Luckily, there is always Mr. Aniso, RV’s Latin teacher, to talk to whenever RV is lonely. He’s also there for RV when he inadvertently spills one of Bobby’s secrets, and Bobby is so angry RV is afraid he is ready to cut off the friendship.
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Andy V. Roamer grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in book publishing for many years, starting out in the children’s and YA books division and then wearing many other hats. WHY CAN’T LIFE BE LIKE PIZZA? is the first novel in THE PIZZA CHRONICLES. The books follow the exploits of RV, the teenage son of immigrants from Lithuania in Eastern Europe, as RV tries to negotiate the four years of his demanding high school, his budding sexuality, and new relationships. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza? ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: August 4, 2020 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, YA
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Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?
Andy V. Roamer
(The Pizza Chronicles #2)
Publication date: June 1st 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

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Synopsis

RV, having successfully completed his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School, is hoping for a great summer. He’s now fifteen years old and looking forward to sharing many languid summer days with his friend Bobby, who’s told him he has gay feelings too. But life and family and duties for a son of immigrant parents makes it difficult to steal time away with Bobby.

Bobby, too, has pressures. He spends part of the summer away at football camp, and his father pushes him to work a summer job at a friend’s accounting firm. Bobby takes the job grudgingly, wanting to spend any extra time practicing the necessary skills to make Latin’s varsity football team.

On top of everything, RV’s best friend Carole goes away for the summer, jumping at an opportunity to spend it with her father in Paris. Luckily, there is always Mr. Aniso, RV’s Latin teacher, to talk to whenever RV is lonely. He’s also there for RV when he inadvertently spills one of Bobby’s secrets, and Bobby is so angry RV is afraid he is ready to cut off the friendship.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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Check out this peek inside:

After dinner tonight Dad asked me to help him prepare for the test. Yay! He’s finally stopped procrastinating. When I walked into his little study he was flipping through the test-prep booklet. But he didn’t look like he was studying. Instead he was turning the pages haphazardly and frowning. No, scowling is more like it. That’s more powerful than frowning, right? Kind of like frowning to the umpteenth power.

When he saw me he put the book down and started complaining again. About a lot of things. He told me that the immigration process was all a money-making racket. That it showed the country didn’t really want immigrants. That trying to become a citizen the honest way was foolish because there were easier, dishonest ways to do it. That he’d never learn all the questions no matter how hard he tried.

I just stood there not knowing what to say. Dad just can’t help himself, can he? Why does he get into his complaining mode so easily? We get so sick of it. And I knew what he’d say next—that he might just pack his bags and go back to the Old Country.

“Good. Then go!” Mom says when she gets exasperated with him at times like this. Ray and I aren’t brave enough to say anything. Correction. I’m not brave enough to say anything. Ray isn’t afraid. Of course he often gets a good wallop for talking back to Dad, but maybe the pleasure of talking back outweighs any physical pain he feels on his ass.

Dad suddenly stopped talking as if he noticed me for the first time. He took a deep breath, asked me to sit down, and handed me the prep booklet. Good, at least he’s going to try, I said to myself.

He told me to ask him some questions. I found the pages with test questions and we started. I tried to ask Dad easy questions first, to give him a boost. Questions like “Who’s the current President?” and “What’s the ocean on the western side of the United States?”

Dad got those questions right. Progress! But he’s got a long way to go because when we got to the harder questions, he either shook his head or gave the wrong answer. I can see I’ll have my work cut out for me for the rest of the summer. Another little chunk of summer gone. It feels weird, like I’m the parent and Dad is the child. But I do want both Mom and Dad to become citizens, so Dad will stop talking about going back to the Old Country.

Dad was quiet again after he couldn’t answer the harder questions. He was staring off into space, not looking angry anymore. Instead he looked lost. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to leave and I didn’t. Here was this big guy I’m usually so afraid of looking like a little kid. A lost little kid.

“Ar nori sustoti?” I asked. “Do you want to stop?” I told him we could continue another time.

He looked at me. “Nežinau.” “I don’t know.” He kept staring at me, but he wasn’t really focusing on me. It was as if he was looking through me, focusing on something far way. I asked him again if he wanted to stop.

He ignored my question and shrugged. “Gal šitas kraštas ne man.” “Maybe this country is not for me.” He kept repeating it. “Gal šitas kraštas ne man.”

He stopped and asked me what I had just said. I told him I didn’t say anything. I was just waiting for him to continue. He nodded and told me to ask him some more questions. But I could tell he wasn’t into it, and he kept getting most of the answers wrong.

I don’t know how long we both stayed there going over that dumb booklet. Dad’s thoughts were somewhere far away and we didn’t make much progress.

I finally mumbled something like, “Okay, I’ve got to do things for Mom. We can continue this another time.”

He nodded, still staring out into space. I slunk out of room, glad to leave.

But I was still thinking about Dad. Seeing him so sad got me really upset. I had never seen him like that. I felt bad for him. And for me too. Dad and I would have to work extra hard to pass that test. I’m determined to work as hard as we need to. There is no way I’m going let him take us back to Old Country. I’m still struggling to fit in here in my own country, which is hard enough.

Author Andy V. Roamer

Andy V. Roamer grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in book publishing for many years, starting out in the children’s and YA books division and then wearing many other hats. WHY CAN’T LIFE BE LIKE PIZZA? is the first novel in THE PIZZA CHRONICLES. The books follow the exploits of RV, the teenage son of immigrants from Lithuania in Eastern Europe, as RV tries to negotiate the four years of his demanding high school, his budding sexuality, and new relationships. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel.

Website / Instagram

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway ~ Stealing Embers by Julie Hall

Posted: August 1, 2020 in giveaways, urban fantasy, YA
Tags: ,
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Today Julie Hall and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive excerpt for STEALING EMBERS, book 1 in her brand-new YA Urban Fantasy, Fallen
legacies series, which releases September 22, 2020! Check out the gorgeous
cover and enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift card!
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On to the reveal!
 
 
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Title: STEALING EMBERS
(Fallen Legacies #1)
Author: Julie Hall
Pub. Date: September 22, 2020
Publisher: Julie Hall
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon
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A realm of monsters. A world of lies. She
belongs to both.
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My name is Emberly, and everything I’ve ever
been told is a lie.
Monsters don’t exist. Wrong.
The nightmarish spectrum world is just my
imagination. Wrong.
In a few months, I’ll finally be free. Wrong.
It takes being dragged to a secret training
academy in the mountains to unravel the truth. My captors–an elite race of
angel-born warriors called Nephilim.
The deadliest of them all is an arrogant shape
shifter, Steel. He’s gorgeous, lethal, hot-headed . . . and convinced I’ll be
the death of them all.
Maybe he’s right. As soon as I show up, the
monsters that have haunted me my entire life breach the academy walls. My only
hope of saving my new friends is learning how to control my powers, but when a
stunning betrayal hurts someone I care about, I have an impossible choice.
Stay and fight for a place to belong . . . or
decide once and for all that I’m better off alone.
Enter the spectrum world, a realm in-between
worlds where shadow beasts draw blood, reality is a maze of twisted lights and
sounds, and life goals are whittled down to just one: survive.
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Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cassandra
Clare will love this Crescent City meets Crave mash up!
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Exclusive Excerpt
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Steel takes a determined step toward me. His hair is
ruffled, his clothes covered in dirt and wet from the ice and snow, his hands
balled into fists. Even without a weapon, he’s a fierce sight to behold. With
golden light kissing his features, he reminds me of a modern-day Apollo,
dressed in a Henley and dark washed jeans.
“It’s you.” His whispered words full of awe and float to me
on a rippling band of light.
I begin to ask what he means, but I catch a sliver of
movement to my left and turn my head in time to see both Forsaken disappear
around the bend of the building.
Instinct says to follow them, but when I take a step in
their direction I’m thwarted by a six-foot-five, raven-haired angel-born.
“They’re going to—” My words die a quick death on my tongue
when Steel’s hand brushes a tangle of hair away from my cheek. The small
contact causes a tremor to work its way through his body.
He closes his eyes and steps into me.
I retreat a step.
“Finally,” he breathes, dipping his head to gently rub the
tip of his nose up the column of my neck before his lips just barely brush my
earlobe.
It’s my turn to shiver.
What is he doing?
my mind screams. And do I care? it
whispers as an afterthought.
Shaking my head out of a confused fog, I take another shaky
step back.
Yes, I do care. The boy must have hit his head harder than I
thought.
“Listen, Steel, we don’t have time for this. You’re not
yourself right now.”
I bring my hands up to push him back. He’s invading my
space—big time.
When I reach forward to give him a shove, he grabs hold of
my wrists and uses my momentum to bring me closer.
The guy has moves, that’s for sure.
One look in his eyes and I can tell he’s not all there. His
lids are lowered to half-mast and his gaze sweeps lazily over my features.
 Steel takes a step
forward, forcing my capitulation until he’s maneuvered me against the rough
bricks. A foreign sensation zips along my spine, as if something heavy is fused
to each vertebrae, weighing me down. I don’t have a chance to investigate
because Steel’s head is dipping again and I have nowhere to move within the
cage of his body.
I freeze, wholly unprepared for the situation. That gives
Steel the perfect opportunity to dive in and take what he wants.
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About Julie:
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Julie Hall is an
award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of young adult fantasy
fiction. 
 
Before writing her first novel Julie
worked as a film publicist and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous . . . as
in she would gently nudge them to let them know their meal had arrived during
press interviews.She now spends most of her “office hours” with her two furry writing
buddies, Bear and Coco. Her daughter thinks that mommy’s superpower is
“sleeping all day,” but that’s because she’s often awake until the wee hours of
the morning weaving tales of adventure in worlds of her own creation. When
asked in an interview what she wanted to be when she grew up, she’s quoted to
have answered, “to never have to grow up.”She currently lives in Portland, Oregon with her four favorite people–her
husband, daughter, and two fur babies (because dogs are people too).  

Connect with Julie here, or on social media.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon Author Page | BookBub | Goodreads

Giveaway

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Books From The Back Log #43 ~ The Fall

Posted: June 18, 2020 in horror, thriller, YA
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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The Fall

by Bethany Griffin

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Genre: YA / Horror / Psychological Thriller

Synopsis

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

Amazon

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I added this back on October 2014.

It sounded a bit different and I loved the cover.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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Alien Minds by Christina Bauer ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: April 6, 2020 in giveaways, Science Fiction, YA
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Alien Minds

by Christina Bauer

Dimension Drift #3
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: June 5th 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis

DIVERGENT meets OCEAN’S EIGHT in this urban fantasy heist!

On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.

So, I’m living the perfect life.

Then why does everything feel all wrong?

My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.

And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories.

Maybe it’s time to pucker up.

“Appealing and engaging. Love the strong female character!” – Arlene’s Book Reviews

This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action & adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.

 
Purchase: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
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About Author Christina Bauer

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter HERE.

Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It!

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Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn / Website

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Should I Or Shouldn’t I?

Posted: February 28, 2020 in Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , ,
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Elysium Girls

by Kate Pentecost

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Genre: Fantasy / YA

Synopsis

In this sweeping Dust Bowl-inspired fantasy, a ten-year game between Life and Death pits the walled Oklahoma city of Elysium-including a girl gang of witches and a demon who longs for humanity-against the supernatural in order to judge mankind.

When Sal is named Successor to Mother Morevna, a powerful witch and leader of Elysium, she jumps at the chance to prove herself to the town. Ever since she was a kid, Sal has been plagued by false visions of rain, and though people think she’s a liar, she knows she’s a leader. Even the arrival of enigmatic outsider Asa-a human-obsessed demon in disguise-doesn’t shake her confidence in her ability. Until a terrible mistake results in both Sal and Asa’s exile into the Desert of Dust and Steel.

Face-to-face with a brutal, unforgiving landscape, Sal and Asa join a gang of girls headed by another Elysium exile-and young witch herself-Olivia Rosales. In order to atone for their mistake, they create a cavalry of magic powered, scrap metal horses to save Elysium from the coming apocalypse. But Sal, Asa, and Olivia must do more than simply tip the scales in Elysium’s favor-only by reinventing the rules can they beat the Life and Death at their own game.

Amazon

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Oh man, this sounds amazing. I loved Titans by Victoria Scott and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and have been looking for something similar for a while now. And just look at that cover. It blows me away. But the price tag? $17.99 for the ebook and the hardcover is the same price. I’m torn about spending that much. This is a new author for me. Knowing me, I’ll bite the bullet and grab it.

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Titans

by Victoria Scott

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Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction / YA

Synopsis

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.

But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.

Amazon

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Scorpio Races

by Maggie Stiefvater

10626594

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Genre: Fantasy / YA

Synopsis

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Amazon

There are several covers for this one.

15827344  11210739  17904607

I can’t decide which I like more. How about you?

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A Women In Horror Anthology ~ Strange Girls ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: February 22, 2020 in Anthology, giveaways, horror, YA
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Strange Girls
A Women in Horror Anthology
with stories selected by Azurra Nox
Genre: YA Horror
For fans of American Horror Story, Shirley Jackson, and Creepshow.
You know them. Those girls that aren’t quite like everyone else. Those girls who stand out in the crowd. Those girls that dare to be different. Those girls are dangerous.
In Strange Girls, twenty-one authors dare to tackle what makes the girls in this collection different. Vampires, selkies, murderous mermaids, succubus, and possessed dolls take center stage in these short stories that are sure to invoke feelings of quiet terror and uneasiness in the reader. Following the successful debut of Women in Horror anthology with My American Nightmare, Strange Girls is the sophomore effort to showcase these talented women in a genre that is often dominated by the male gaze.
Dare to take a walk on the dark side.
Stories in the Anthology:
24 Hour Diner by Charlotte Platt
Sideshow by Jude Reid
The Doll’s House by Alyson Faye
Blood by Red Claire
Self-Portrait with Pears by Rachel Bolton
Personal Demons by Angelique Fawns
Friends with Benefits by E.F. Schraeder
Night Terrors by Angela Sylvaine
The Girl Who Never Stopped Bleeding by Sam Lauren
Leda and the Fly by Marnie Azzarelli
Jenny’s Bobo by Hillary Lyon
Extinguishing Fireflies by Rebecca Rowland
The Eyes of the Dead by Danielle R. Bailey
My Mirror Wife by Ash Tudor
Pattern of Faerytales by Azzurra Nox
Campfire Tales: The Bloody Rings by Emma Johnson-Rivard
Cracked by Regan Moore
Angel of Death by Phoebe Jane Johnson
Her Garden Grows by Maxine Kollar
Revival by Madison Estes
A Song Only She Can Hear by Wondra Vanian
Tribal Influence by Erica Ruhe
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Born in Catania, Sicily, Azzurra Nox has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.
$10 Amazon Giftcard
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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I Know When You’re Going To Die ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: February 18, 2020 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, YA
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I Know When You’re Going to Die
by Michael J. Bowler
Genre: YA Mystery, Thriller
Leonardo Cantrell is a painfully shy sixteen-year-old who cannot look people in the eye. One night while he’s volunteering at a homeless shelter, an old man forces eye contact and gives Leo the power to see Death.
His best, and only, friend—J.C. Rivera—thinks this new power is cool until Leo accidentally looks into J.C.’s eyes and “sees” his murder, a murder that will occur in less than two weeks. Stunned and shaken, the two boys sift through clues in Leo’s “vision” in a desperate effort to find the killer and stop him before he can strike.
Aided by feisty new-girl-at-school, Laura, the boys uncover evidence suggesting the identity of the murderer. However, their plan to trap the would-be killer goes horribly awry and reveals a truth that could kill them all.
**only 99 cents until March 10th !!**
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California for many years, both in general education and students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing you can find him volunteering as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, volunteering within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, or caring for his newly adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, and hopes his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.
$25 Amazon gift card
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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